Is this the year that MountainLakesfinally breaks its long drought or will Robbinsville make it two in a row? Will Patrick Rono of Lyndhurst push the pace and take a shot at the Group 1 meet record?

All these questions and more will be answered just before noon on Saturday in what is shaping up to be very exciting team battle.

In 1957 and 1958, MountainLakes captured the first two state Group 2 titles ever contested. It has come up empty ever since.

But after a third-place finish a year ago, coach Sue Bessin's team is back to take its best shot at ending the 52-year dry spell and get a W.

MountainLakes, the North Jersey, Section 1 winner, has targeted this race since Day One this season. Led by junior Stephen Lewandowski, the North 1 sectional winner, MountainLakes is a slight favorite on paper.

MountainLakes defeated third-place Robbinsville when it won the F race at the Shore Coaches Invitational, 101-140, last month at Holmdel.

MountainLakes averaged 17:11 in its sectional win at GarretMountain while defending champion Robbinsville ran 17:15 at ThompsonPark when it won its third straight Central Jersey title. Thompson's course runs a bit faster than Garrett.

Robbinsville, behind sectional winner Brian O'Toole, is eager to prove that it's still the top Group 1 team in New Jersey. Last year, Robbinsville won with 78 points with Metuchen second with 116 and MountainLakes third with 130.

Haddon Township, which won a third straight in SJ and won Group 1 in 2008, first time sectional winner Lyndhurst (N.J, Sec. 2), NJ. Sec. 2 runner-up McNair, CJ runner-up Shore Reg., SJ runner-up Maple Shade, N.J. Sec. 2 runner-upPark Ridge-Emerson should all be factors in trying to grab the third automatic qualifying spot.

Individually, the undefeated Rono, second last year in Group 1 and ninth at the M of C last fall in 15:55, should win this race going away. And he certainly has the talent to make a run at the Group 1 record of 15:52 set last year by Dave Oster of Verona if he chooses to keep his foot on the gas. But Rono will probably just run fast enough to secure the win and save his best for the M of C.

O'Toole (third last year), Lewandowski (fifth last year), CJ runner-up Everett Price of New Providence (fourth last year), SJ winner Joe Egan of Haddon Township and SJ runner-up Tyler Cummings of Pennsville should have a good battle for second in the chase pack.

DID YOU KNOW: Patrick Rono, who moved to the U.S. from Kenya when he was nine, is the son of Peter Rono, the Olympic gold medal winner at the 1988 Games in Barcelona in the 1,500.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN??

MountainLakes will get three runners in before any other team gets two across and finally bring a state title back home for the first time in 52 years. Rono will win in around 15:58.